Kwak Dong-yeon (곽동연; 郭東延) is a South Korean actor and musician born on March 19, 1997, in Daejeon. At the age of 13, he left his hometown on his own to move to Seoul in order to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. Trained at the FNC Academy, he initially studied music and was a member of the trainee group KKOKKOMA Band as a guitarist and singer, before devoting himself fully to acting.
He made his debut in 2012 in a family drama My Husband Got a Family, a performance that earned him the Best Young Actor award at the Korea Drama Awards. He then went on to play a series of roles in Modern Farmer, Pied Piper and above all Love in the Moonlight (2016), in which his portrayal of the faithful Kim Byung-yeon earned him growing recognition. He confirmed his talent in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty, My Strange Hero, and then distinguished himself in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.
His popularity has reached a new milestone thanks to Vincenzo, in which he plays Jang Han-seo, a complex character who becomes one of the series' most beloved. He continues this momentum with Big Mouth, before achieving massive success in 2024 in Queen of Tears, where his role as Hong Soo-cheol showcases his full comedic and emotional range. That same year, he also appeared in the film Love in the Big City.
In 2026, he joined the cast of the historical fantasy drama The East Palace, in which he plays the crown prince. That same year, he signed with THEBLACKLABEL agency, opening a new chapter in his career. He began his military service on August 25, 2026, and was discharged on February 24, 2028.
Thanks to his versatility, his natural screen presence, and his ability to bring complex characters to life, Kwak Dong-yeon has established himself as one of the most talented and engaging actors of his generation in the South Korean TV series industry.
